When Should Surfers Begin with Short Boards

Surfers learn short board surfing after they have mastered the soft top in foam waves. The fundamentals are the same for short board surfing, but to ride a short board fundamentals have to be precise.

Adding the Facets for Short Board Surfing

In learning to fly big airplanes after learning on small airplanes, the fundamentals are the same but now there are new facets. The first facets in short boards compared to high volume boards is the paddling is more difficult requiring more stamina. Catching waves is the biggest difference requiring timing and courage.

Catching a wave for short board surfing requires positioning where the waves are breaking so there is just a short paddle once the wave is seen forming. The surfer gets in front of the wave and decides if he is going right or left by watching how the wave is forming. As the wave comes under the board, the surfer paddles hard and pops up.

Surfers new to real waves are fist impressed with the speed. Beginners often fall off the back. A second mistake is letting the wave pass the board and trying to catch it from behind. This results in missing it or getting it too late and falling off the face.

First Good Trick of Riding Real Waves

A great way for those new to catching real waves with short board surfing is to find the corners. As the wave is breaking and rolling, the pocket is less steep further down the line. A second good technique is paddling down the face and before popping up, pointing the board towards the pocket so you don’t have to ride straight down.

The first maneuver necessary is accelerating to gain speed and avoid the falling lip. The surfer pushes the nose of the board up the face with his front foot and lets the nose slide down. Two or three pushes and the board is moving and ready to perform the first trick.

The First Carve for Short Board Surfing

The first carve a short board surfer learns is the bottom turn. This is useful for getting into the pocket off the lip, turning up the face of the wave to escape, or turning up the face of the wave for a trick.

The first trick all surfers love is ripping the lip. A bottom turn up the face is executed and then the surfer reverses his position into a reverse looking back down the face as the board’s tail rips the foam.

A cut back is important. In a cut back the surfer reverses direction to gain the power of the wave at the lip , to stall waiting for the wave to catch up, and advanced surfers use it for both gaining power and for style. A half cut back is good for style and waiting for the power to catch up.

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Surfers learn pop up timing that is important for catching foam or real waves. Most beginners without instructions instructions have no idea of the steps nor the timing necessary.

Learn More

For Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page

See the Post What You Learn in a 2 Hour Lesson

See the Post How to Progress in Surfing

See My Dry Land and In Water Demo video

See How to Catch a Green/Real Wave video